Who Has the World's Water

The world’s freshwater resources are under increasing pressure from growing human population and industrial activity. Here’s a look at how the world’s top six water-abundant countries are dealing with their resources

BrazilShare of total world resource: 19%Share of world’s population: 2.82%

StatusGovernment taking steps to guard world's largest freshwater reservoir from environmental hazards, giving birth to a $100 million water protection industry.

CanadaShare of total world resource: 7%Share of world’s population: 0.49%

StatusTraditionally against exporting water, but is selling bottled water to the US.

RussiaShare of total world resource: 10%Share of world’s population: 2.04%

StatusExporting water to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Fresh water supplies may equal that of oil and natural gas. Government officials say, “When we run out of oil, we’ll export water.”

ChinaShare of total world resource: 7%Share of world’s population: 19.27%Status70% of its water bodies are contaminated, while half of its cities have polluted groundwater. Faces shortage. In talks with Alaska to import water.

ColumbiaShare of total world resource: 5%Share of world’s population: 0.67%

StatusContaminated freshwater. Threatened with issues like drying up of water bodies.

IndonesiaShare of total world resource: 7%Share of world’s population: 3.47%

StatusPlagued by water contamination. At this rate, by 2025, it would be facing a water crisis.

IndiaShare of total world resource: 4%Share of world’s population: 17.8%

StatusDeficient monsoons often lead to shortage of drinking and irrigation water. Groundwater is polluted due to poor land practices, atmospheric deposition of pollutants and direct discharge of sewage into water bodies.